


Don't You Know That I'll Be Around To Guide You

by xtina592



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), pricefield - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 19:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17249660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtina592/pseuds/xtina592
Summary: After making the hardest choice of her life, Max Caulfield's world is left in shambles without her best friend by her side. But when Chloe suddenly comes back, how can she tell what's real and what's an illusion?





	Don't You Know That I'll Be Around To Guide You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi to anyone reading this! This is my first real crack at a LiS story, and it's my all time favorite game so I wanted to do the characters justice and respect the cannon. For the record, I'm Bae>Bay, but this is just my interpretation of what life would be like for Max if she chose to sacrifice Chloe (with a pretty big twist at the end, which honestly I wouldn't want to actually happen, but I felt the idea worked well with what I had in mind). Anyways, thank you to anyone who actually reads this, and I hope you enjoy it!!

Max Caulfield slowly opened her eyes, which were partially swollen from all the crying she had done before finally passing out from pure exhaustion.  She automatically glanced at the wall in front of her, at her handwriting.  Right above where Max had left her mark in the junkyard bunker that she now called her home, she gazed upon the words “Chloe was here” and started to tear up again.  I wish I had a recent picture of Chloe to hang up on the wall, or maybe I could use it to…Max stopped herself before she finished the thought.  She had gone through Chloe’s box of pictures with Joyce before the funeral, but most of them had been pictures of Chloe and William.  And despite her longing to see Chloe, even in picture form, she didn’t feel right taking the photos when Joyce offered them to her.  In spite of all the pain Max was going through, she couldn’t even fathom how hard this must be for Joyce, losing both husband and daughter within the span of just five years.  She wanted to visit Joyce, she really did.  She wanted nothing more than to tell her all about the happy times her and Chloe had shared during the now non-existent week, like their otter versus shark style fight in the pool and having breakfast at the Two Whales Diner together.  Chloe said so herself that Max made her smile and laugh like she hadn’t done in years, and Max knew that would comfort Joyce.  A small smile escaped her lips at the memories, but she knew she could never tell Joyce, or anyone for that matter, about that week.  Not only would she probably be instantly committed to a psych ward, it was just too painful to talk about.  
                Max hadn’t seen anyone for days.  She had enough money on her to buy some food at the mini mart a couple miles down the road on the first day she got here, but other than that she isolated herself and let American Rust become her cocoon.  Her cell was filled with texts from everyone-her parents, Warren, Kate, Dana, Joyce-but the only ones she texted back were her mom and dad to lie to them and tell them she was alright.  They begged her to let them come get her and bring her back to Seattle, but she refused.  Even though she felt a physical pain in her heart every time her eyes landed on something that reminded her of Chloe, she couldn’t even fathom having to start over somewhere else-or in Seattle’s case ‘start over again.’  On the other hand, she resented everyone in Arcadia Bay, besides Joyce and David.  She knew Chloe wanted them safe most of all, and the only thing that mattered up on that hilltop next to the lighthouse on that day was what Chloe wanted.  Max tried to rationalize her decision at least a dozen times a day, but she could never fully convince herself that she did the right thing.  I saved hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives, and what do I get in return?  I lose the one person I care most about in this messed up world. Max’s thoughts had become much darker the past few days, and while at first she resisted, she had slowly started to just accept the bitterness that was living in her subconscious.  This must be how Chloe felt for all those months when she was alone and didn’t have Rachel or I to comfort her.   
She thought back to her best friend’s funeral, and how a warm feeling coursed through her entire body when the bright blue butterfly landed atop Chloe’s casket.  She had smiled when she saw it, and told herself that it must have been Chloe's way of letting Max know she was still with her. But what good is it if she's not physically here with me? Max thought as the bitterness found its way back to the forefront of her thoughts.  I'd like to believe she's always with me, but without her actually here on Earth, I'm still all alone. She's the only one who knew about my powers, the only one I can talk to about all of this. And she's the one I wanted to save!  The one I should have saved!  Max paused at that last thought.  Despite feeling torn over her decision, she had never felt this sure that she made the wrong choice until now.  She forced herself to think of what the townspeople said to her in her nightmare-how Stella said she escaped an abusive family, how Daniel told Max she gave him confidence with his sketches, even how the lady whom Max had never met said she would never get to hold her newborn baby girl again if the town got destroyed.  Yeah, and how many people came to Chloe's funeral? the angry voice that reminded her of her nightmare self said.  You gave up your soulmate for all those ungrateful bastards and they couldn't even take time out of their schedules to go pay their respects to the person who decided that her life wasn't as valuable as everyone else's.  Now school is back in session like nothing happened and everyone is just going about their daily lives while I'm going through hell.  Chloe and I saved thousands of lives dammit!  
    Tears started to form in Max's eyes as she quietly began to sob.  She couldn't even keep it together for very long alone in a junkyard, how the hell was she going to be able to return to the real world?  Everyone knew Max and Chloe were childhood best friends, but would people think it's weird that she was this inconsolable over someone who, to everyone else's knowledge, she hadn't seen for five years?  She would definitely be forced to see the school's guidance counselor if anyone saw her this upset when she returned to Blackwell.  Or Kate would preach to her about God's plan. She looked up at the sky with daggers.    
    "So what's your big plan for me now, God?" she asked with disdain dripping from her voice.  "Just gonna let me waste away with guilt and pain until I can't take it anymore?  Why did I even get those rewind powers in the first place?  Was it just so I could have 5 days with my best friend back, so the pain of her inevitable death would hurt a billion times more?  Or was it just a punishment for abandoning her for 5 years, so the universe decided to give me just 5 days with her before taking her away and leaving me more broken and alone that I've ever felt in my life?"  Max started to have trouble getting a deep breath from all her crying and yelling.  She climbed back into the fort and sat on the bench, which for the past few days had become her bed.  She didn't care that it was hell on her back and was super uncomfortable. She figured since Chloe had used it as a makeshift mattress on some nights when being at home with David was unbearable, then she could suck it up and deal with it.  If only I could apply that mantra to the rest of my life, Max thought miserably.  When her breathing started to slow down, she carefully laid down on the bench and started to breathe in and out through her nose until she fully calmed down.  Exhausted from her millionth crying spell of the day, she closed her eyes and focused on the mental image she had of her blue haired punk.  
   
   
                “Max,” a voiced wheezed behind her, “how the hell did I let you talk me into this?”  
Max turned her head to glance at Chloe, who was bringing up the rear of the tour group and going snail speed.  
                “I told you to lay off the cigarettes before we went!” Max retorted.  
                “Dude, I’ve been smoking for years, my lungs are not meant for trekking through the woods like a fucking mountain man.”  
                Max sighed, “Fine!  You win!” She sat down on a nearby rock and patted the space next to her, indicating to Chloe to join her.  
                “Thank God!” Chloe breathed as she readily accepted the water Max held out to her.  “You do realize this is all a scam, right?  No way are we gonna see Bigfoot.  Or if we do, it’s just gonna be some big dude who was paid to dress up in a lame costume so all these yuppie suckers can feel like they got their money’s worth.”  
                “Yeah, I know,” Max said, “but at least now we can add ‘searched for Bigfoot’ to our list of swashbuckling adventures.  Right, Captain Chloe?”  
Chloe chuckled and ruffled Max’s hair.  “You’re so adorable, Long Max Silver.  And I guess that’s kinda true about the pirate thing.  We do have certain images to maintain.”  
Max looked around and took in her surroundings.  The group had gotten so far ahead that they were just a dot in the distance, but Max and Chloe knew these woods well since they used to play in them all the time before Max moved away.  At the moment, it seemed more likely that they were going to ditch the group and head back to Chloe’s truck in the parking lot.  
                “Dude…I need one,” Chloe said as she held out her empty hand to Max.  
                “Chloe, no!  You gave me your pack of cigarettes so you wouldn’t be tempted!  And did you also forget that you told me ‘under no circumstances are you to let me have one’?”  
Chloe rolled her eyes.  “Come on, man!  That was the old me!  I was younger and more naïve!”  
                “Chloe, you said it two hours ago,” Max replied.  
                “Yeah, right after I had my daily wake n’ bake.  So since technically I was under the influence, you really can’t go by anything I said during that time.”  
Max looked at Chloe’s puppy dog eyes she was giving her.  How can I say no to that face?  She finally relented and pulled out one cigarette from the box hidden in her camera bag.  
                “Hallelujah!” Chloe cried as she immediately put it in between her lips.  “Now if you’ll just hand over my lighter then I can really get this party started.”  
Max looked down at the ground and grabbed two thick sticks near her feet and handed them to Chloe.  “Here, rub these together and go crazy,” she said with a smirk.  
                “Ohh, she’s adorable AND a smartass!” Chloe retorted with amusement.  
Max giggled and reached back into her bag to grab the lighter with the skull and bones emblazoned on the front.  It was a gift from Max that she gave Chloe three days before, and on the back she had it engraved to say ‘CP+MC PIRATES 4EVER.’  She knew it was a slightly cheesy message, but she couldn’t believe that Chloe had actually started to well up with tears when she first saw it, which made Max’s heart soar.  And this morning when Max went over to Chloe’s house before the hike, the blue haired punk handed her a small white box with a little red bow drawn on the top.  Inside was the coolest leather bracelet Max had ever seen with ‘MC+CP PIRATES 4EVER’ engraved in white letters.  
                “Hope you don’t mind I kinda jacked your idea,” Chloe had said almost sheepishly.  Max replied with a giant bear hug and a kiss on the cheek that made Chloe slightly blush.  
After exhaling a cloud of smoke, Chloe looked over at Max smiling to herself.  “Whatcha thinkin’ bout, hippie?” she asked.  
Max hadn’t realized she had been lost in thought, but she replied, “I’m just so glad you’re using your new lighter.”  
Chloe smiled sincerely.  “Yep, this bad boy is gonna get a lot of mileage from me.  Plus like I told you when you gave it to me, it’s the coolest present I’ve ever gotten.”  
Warmth instantly filled Max’s entire body.  “Good!” she said happily.  “Same goes for my bracelet.  It’s hella awesome!”  
“Hmm,” Chloe said pensively.  “If my math is correct, that makes this the third time you’ve used the word ‘hella’ in as many days.”  
Max laughed.  “What can I say?  You’re a good bad influence on me.”  
Chloe grinned and said “Damn right I am!  Now all you need is a beanie and a sick tattoo on your arm.”  
Max slightly scoffed, “Umm, yeah…I think I’ll let you be the one to rock that style.  I’ll just stick to my trusty t-shirt and jeans combo.”  
“Yeah…generic jeans,” Chloe muttered under her breath.  
Max gaped at her best friend. “You suck!” And just for that, I think I’m gonna change my mind and take your advice.”  
Before Chloe knew what was happening, Max swiped her beanie off her blue haired head and plopped it on her own before dashing off in the direction of the tour group.   
“Oh that does it hippie, you’re so gonna pay for that!” Chloe yelled as she snuffed out her cigarette and started after the brunette up the hill. She could hear Max’s laughing get closer as she closed in on her. Finally when she was at a close enough distance, she wrapped her arms around Max’s horse and yelled “gotcha!”. Max yelped as both girls crashed to the ground in a fit of laughter. After a few seconds, Chloe finally got the upper hand and pinned Max and smiled mischievously as she went to grab her hat back. But just as her fingers grazed the beanie, Max noticed Chloe’s expression change from amused to steely. “Damn, gonna have to use stronger restraints,” she said in a voice that didn’t really sound like hers.   
“Huh? Why did you say that?” Max asked. Chloe looked at her quizzically and opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, the tour guide called down to them from up on the hill.  
“Hey! You guys alright down there?”  
“Yeah, sorry, just goofing around,” Chloe called back. “We’ll catch up to you guys in just a sec.” The man gave them a thumbs up before turning around to rejoin the group. She turned her attention back to Max and gave her a smile. “Booyah! I knew I could pin you in like 2 seconds flat, just like when we were kids.”  
Max wanted to ask her about the restraints comment, and why her voice was so different when she said it, but they were having such a nice day together and she didn’t wanna ruin it. Instead she said, “Hey, I held out for at least 4 seconds. Give me some credit…”  
Chloe chuckled, “Alright, whatever you need to hear Mad Max. Anyways, while I must admit my hat does look good on you, I think I’ll be taking it back now.” And with that she removed the cap from her best friend’s head and placed it back where it belonged, covering her short blue locks. She untangled herself from the smaller girl and stood up, extending a hand out to Max to help her up.   
“Alright, alright, you win,” Max admitted in defeat as she took Chloe’s hand.  
“Thank you for finally accepting reality!” Chloe joked as she took an overdramatic bow. “And I take back what I said about your jeans. They’re only mildly generic.”  
Max opened her mouth to retort, but Chloe stopped her. “Buuuut as a consolation prize, I will accompany you to the mall on a day of your choosing so we can pick out some ‘updated Max Caulfield’ clothes.”  
“My clothes are fine!” Max argued. “They’re classic!”  
Chloe gave her an exaggerated eye roll. “Dude, there’s classic, and then there’s ‘your style hasn’t changed since the last time I saw you half a decade ago.’ I may have gone a bit extreme with switching up my look, but we can just try out some minor changes for you. Like literally any pants other than jeans.”  
Max looked at her best friend pensively. “Okay, fine, we’ll go to the mall tomorrow.” Chloe cheered and started to do a little dance that she wouldn’t be caught dead doing in front of anyone but Max. Max loved that she brought out Chloe’s goofy side. Despite all of her bravado, tattoos, and piercings, Chloe was still a huge dork deep down. “Now for the big question, should we continue on our Bigfoot quest or just bail?”  
Chloe jumped on top of a nearby little tree stump. “Argh ye matey! I’ve just gotten me second wind, and besides, Captain Bluebeard never accepts defeat!”  
Max decided to join in and play along. “Avast matey! Let us set sail in search of the one they call Bigfoot!”  
“Aye!” Chloe agreed as she and Max walked arm and arm through the woods, taking turns humming ‘Yo Ho A Pirate’s Life For Me’ during their fits of laughter.  
* * *

Max woke up with the pirate tune playing in her head as she realized she just woke up from yet another dream of what could have been with Chloe. It all felt so real, Max wished she could just sleep forever if that was the only way to see her best friend again. In her dreams, Chloe was always so full of life, and there was no threat of any storms, no unpaid drug dealer debts, just two best friends being silly and goofy together.  
Max slowly got to her feet and walked out of the fort. The sun was just starting to set, and she could feel her chest tighten as dozens of things in her eye-line reminded her of Chloe. She knew she was only hurting herself by hiding out here, where literally every item and view made her think of the blue haired punk. But no matter how much it pained her, Max knew it would only make her feel worse if she tried to forget about her. She needed to feel close to her in some way, and if that meant living in a junkyard, then so be it.  
Whenever Max actually did try to contemplate her future, she could never figure out what her plan should be. She knew she couldn’t wallow in misery forever. Not only would someone eventually find her in the junkyard, she knew Chloe wouldn’t want her to be wasting her life. But for now, she couldn’t help how she really felt.  
Just as she was about to crawl back into the fort so she could let her misery swallow her up yet again, Max had an idea. She walked around searching for a beer bottle, which brought back memories of her quest for bottles a few days prior. Surprisingly enough, she found one on the ground underneath one of the wrecked cars. She thought for sure she had gotten all of them before, so she considered herself very lucky finding this one. She walked back over to the area where her and Chloe had their target practice and placed the bottle on the ground. Since she didn’t have a gun like that day-not that she would want to even hold one ever again after that week-she settled for a baseball bat lying in the dirt nearby.   
She knew her hunch was a long shot, but she had to try, had to see if she still had her powers. She had been too scared to try them out before to see if they still existed. But with each passing hour she was becoming more desperate for anything to break this cycle of hurting and sorrow that had now become her life. She tightened her grip on the bat and focused on her target. She could feel the rage course through her veins as her mind conjured up images of some of the most awful moments from the previous week-Jefferson photographing her while she was tied up and lying helpless on the floor of his underground bunker, Chloe getting shot, Kate jumping off the roof at Blackwell. Max lifted her arms above her head, let out an ear piercing scream, and slammed the bat down so hard on the bottle that she could feel the ground shake beneath her feet as shards of glass flew in all directions. Max slammed the bat down a few more times, welcoming the building rage finally getting released and having the sudden desire to just smash every single thing in the junkyard.  
She didn’t even realize she was crying until she wiped her face with her sleeve and saw it was wet when she pulled her hand back. But she stood up straight, lifted her arm, and reached out her hand in the direction of the broken bottle. Please work, she thought to herself desperately. Suddenly, the world swirled around her and she watched in awe as the broken pieces of glass came back together to reform the bottle. She stared at the bottle for a moment as even more questions popped into her head. Does this mean I’ll have my powers for life? Is there any possibility I can still save Chloe? As much as she wanted to rewind all the way back to a time where Chloe was still alive, she knew how unlikely it was that she could go back that far. Plus, she didn’t even have any photographs form that week to time jump into them. Well that’s just great, she thought miserably. I thought these powers were connected to Chloe somehow. So what good are they if I can’t bring her back?  
Max felt the pressure in her head begin to build, the combination of using her powers again and the stress form the past few days finally catching up to her. She decided she would go back into the shack and attempt to figure out a plan on using her power to possibly get Chloe back. If I could just see her one more time, hug her, tell her I miss her. Anything. She felt the familiar feeling of tears trickling down her face, but she willed herself not to cry anymore. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself as she walked through the doorway. But she froze dead in her tracks as she saw a familiar figure with a dark jacket and electric blue hair.  
“Ch-chloe?” She asked so quietly she could barely hear herself.  
The figure standing before her turned around, and Max audibly gasped as she stared at her best friend’s face in disbelief.  
“Sorry I took so long getting back. They had the shittiest selection at the sporting goods store.”  
“Huh?” Max asked. Chloe motioned to the darts in her hand. “Chloe, is this really you?”  
“Don’t try to play dumb to get out of this match, Caulfield. You know I’m gonna kick your ass, and acting all innocent ain’t gonna save you now!”  
Max lunged for the punk and wrapped her arms around her tightly. “Oh my God, Chloe! You’re alive! How?? What changed!?”  
Chloe hugged her back and said “Okay, you’re gonna have to loosen your death grip on my so I can talk.” Max complied and Chloe continued. “Don’t even stress about those kind of questions. All I know is I’m here with you, we had plans to play darts, and I just had to pay 30 bucks for a 3 pack so this game is definitely happening.”  
Max chuckled and thought to herself At least we’re together again. No idea how, but she’s right-it doesn’t matter. I needed her and she came. “Okay, you’re on!”  
* * *  
“Damn dude, I can’t believe you actually beat me,” Chloe sighed. “You must have that Irish luck on your side.”  
“Well we haven’t played since we were kids, so you just weren’t aware of the mad skills I’ve honed since then,” Max joked. They were both sitting on Max’s bench bed, and even though they played darts for nearly an hour, Max still couldn’t believe Chloe was with her. She knew Chloe told her not to stress about the particulars, but she couldn’t help it. This just had to be Chloe. Yet Chloe wasn’t talking about what happened-the bathroom, the storm, her powers, nothing. Max knew something wasn’t right, but did she really care? She was finally with her best friend again, and that’s what she wanted since their last day together. But no matter what was really going on, Max just had to ask her one thing.  
“Um, Chloe?” She began. “I need to ask you something, and I need you to be totally honest with me.”  
“Shoot,” Chloe replied, her choice of wording making Max cringe slightly.  
“Did…did I make the right choice?” As Chloe looked at her quizzically, Max continued to babble. “I know you told me we had to do it to save everyone, but I’m going out of my mind without you. I have no one. I mean, yes, we saved an entire town so I’m not full on ‘alone’ but I can’t even picture hanging out with Warren or Kate and pretending everything is normal. Like the only thing that happened was the death of a former Blackwell student. They don’t even know about the fucking storm and all the signs leading up to it and…”  
Chloe grabbed Max by the shoulders. “Woah, woah, take a breath, Max. I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about. And I know I haven’t been around as much as I should be, and I’m really sorry. Things have just been…really crazy lately.”  
Max was getting more concerned now that Chloe confirmed her fear that she had no recollection of what happened during their ‘lost week’ together.“Tell me about it,” she agreed. I really have no clue what’s going on or what any of this really means. But there is one thing I’m sure of: you are my soulmate. Platonic, romantic, whatever. You are my other half, and that's something thats never going to change. That’s why I feel so miserable without you.”  
Chloe’s mouth slightly fell open before turning into a big grin. “Wow Max, that was…just what I needed to hear. And for the record, you’re totally my soulmate too.” Chloe moved forward and wrapped her arms around Max in a tight hug. “Maybe next time you’re missing me you should remember what you just said,” she whispered. “We’re each others’ halves, and that’s never gonna change. Even when we’re apart, we’re still Max and Chloe.”  
Max sniffled, “You’re right. I’m sorry, I should have told you all of this way sooner. Maybe up by the lighthouse, then maybe we wouldn’t…” Her words were interrupted by Chloe’s phone buzzing. The taller girl pulled her cell out of her pocket and sighed when she looked at the lit up screen.  
“Sorry, Max, I really have to go. Mom just texted me to come home for dinner. I’d invite you, but since you’re not allowed in the dining hall anymore…”  
Max started getting confused again. “What’s that mean? Is it some kind of code for David being there?” But Chloe ignored her and started heading out towards the exit, calling over her shoulder that she’ll see Max again in a little while. Max wanted to beg her not to leave, and she wanted definitive answers to all the questions swimming in her head. But just as Chloe was a single step away from leaving the fort, only one question left Max’s lips. “Would you have saved me?” Such a loaded question, one that Max was a little afraid to know the answer to, if Chloe would even know what she was talking about.  
Chloe turned around and looked right into Max’s eyes, smiled, and said “in a heartbeat.” And just like that, she walked out of the shack and was gone.  
* * *  
Max slightly jumped as she looked at her surroundings. Huh? Why am I on the train tracks? I was just in the fort with…Chloe!! She dashed across the way over to the shack, hoping and praying to see her again. Her face fell as she saw it was empty. “Dammit!” She yelled as she kicked the wall. She didn’t know if she should let her anger take over or just cry. I am so fucking sick of crying, it doesn’t change anything. But I know that was really Chloe, I just know it…right? She couldn’t have just been a hallucination…But Chloe’s last words echoed in her mind, ‘in a heartbeat.’ So what did that really mean for Max? Chloe would have been willing to let her own mother die so her and Max could stay together? Granted, they weren’t exactly ‘Gilmore Girls’ close, but next to Max, Joyce was the most important person in Chloe’s life. She would have done anything to save me, so why didn’t I do the same for her? What’s wrong with me?? I abandoned Chloe again! She felt the guilt start to wash over her again, but she forced herself to calm down. Okay, take a deep breath, Max. Maybe somehow you can fix this. You still have your rewind, but no photos. Nothing to use to… Suddenly Max beamed as she came up with a brilliant idea. All she had to do was go back to Blackwell and find the butterfly photo she left on the bathroom floor. Then she could stop Chloe from getting shot and everything could go back to the way it should be. At this point she didn’t care what happened to the town, so long as her and Chloe would be together. Max grabbed her bag and started her long trek up to Blackwell. She was feeling so hopeful and euphoric that she was practically sprinting to her destination,  
Darkness fell by the time Max arrived at the school, which worked out in her favor as the Blackwell Ninja. Before she went to the entrance, she had a thought; What if the photo was already thrown away? I guess I should check the trash before I go inside, just in case. She quickly and quietly made her way to the dumpsters. I’ll just go through the bags one at a time and if it’s not here then I know for sure it’ll still be in the bathroom. Max pushed up her sleeves and opened the first bag, grateful that it was a full moon so she could actually see what she was doing. While she felt like her mind was clearer than earlier in the day, she didn’t even entertain the idea the very likely possibility that the photo was either taken by the police as evidence or picked up by the trash collection earlier in the week. Max had tunnel vision, and all her focus was on finding the one way to bring Chloe back for good.   
She had gone through four bags already, and she had just placed her hands atop the next one to untie it when she heard a deep booming voice behind her.  
“Miss Caulfield?” Principal Wells called her name in a rough tone with a touch of surprise.  
“Just give me a few more minutes Wells, unless you wanna make yourself useful and help me look for it.” Max surprised herself with how she almost sounded like Chloe when she would have the nerve to talk back to the principal. But she wasn’t trying to purposely emulate Chloe, she just didn’t want to stop her quest, not when she was so close to putting everything back to the way it should be.  
“Miss Caulfield, I have no clue what you’re doing, or why you’re trespassing on school property late at night, but you’re coming to my office so we can sort this out-now.” Before she had a chance to tell him to buzz off, she felt two pairs of hands grip both her arms and was pulled out of the dumpster.  
After quite the struggle, Max found herself sitting in the very office her and Chloe had broken into just a few nights ago. But this time, Wells was actually in the room, and he did not look pleased. Max heard Wells talking to the janitor Samuel, whom Max assumed was just working late and thats why he was here at night.  
“Thanks for the help, Kenneth. I’ve got it from here.”  
Huh? Max thought, Is Wells drunk again? Why’d he call Samuel ‘Kenneth’? But she was snapped out of her thoughts when the principal took a seat behind his desk and called her name.   
“Do you even realize how many people you have worried about you? You haven’t shown up to school for days, nobody’s seen you since the funeral, and now I find you dumpster diving in the middle of the night! What in the world is going on with you, Max?”  
Max opened her mouth to tell him that he shouldn’t pretend to care about her, not after he couldn’t even believe her about Nathan having a gun in the bathroom. But for some reason, her mouth felt like cotton and she couldn’t form any words. Suddenly, she felt lightheaded and slightly drowsy. She started to sway in her chair and Wells sighed, “Stay where you are, I’m gonna go get Kenneth back here to help me get you back to bed.”  
Who the hell is Kenneth?! She tried to scream. And why are you talking about me going to bed? Although she had to admit, a nap would have felt amazing in that moment. But just as she started to close her eyes, she remembered why she was there in the first place. The picture! She thought. I’m right near the bathroom, I have to see if it’s still there. She used all the strength she could muster to get out of the chair and make her way to the girls’ room. Once she finally got inside, she collapsed to the ground. She had no more strength left to stand up, but she was determined to look for the polaroid. She focused as best she could and crawled around to the back corner by the fire alarm, and despair washed over her when she realized the photograph wasn’t there. She couldn’t stop the tears flowing out of her eyes as she told herself that she failed Chloe yet again. All of the guilt she had been feeling over the past several years-ghosting Chloe, sacrificing her, resenting everyone she saved in Arcadia Bay- hit her like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, she was hyperventilating and crying so hard that she couldn’t breathe. She felt like she was having a panic attack, or what she assumed one felt like. “Ch-Chloe,” she breathed out during her fit, making her cry that much harder.  
“I’m here,” a voice next to her said. Max felt a very familiar touch graze her shoulder, and she instantly calmed down and her breathing evened out. She turned to face Chloe, who was sitting right by her side looking tranquil and peaceful. This time, Max didn’t need to ask her if she was real. Somehow, she just knew this time was different.  
“Thanks for coming,” Max said.  
“You know I’m always here with you,” Chloe replied with a smile.  
“The pain, Chloe…the pain has been unbearable. I cant even enjoy my life anymore.”  
“I don’t blame you. How could anyone enjoy life in a place like this?” Max assumed she meant Blackwell, and that’s when she realized exactly where they were.  
“Oh my God, we have to get out of here! You shouldn’t have to ever see this room again. Let’s-”  
“No,” Chloe cut her off, “It’s okay, really. Besides, we don’t have that much time before they find you. I just needed to see you again.” Max shuffled closer to her best friend and Chloe wrapped her into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry you’re in such pain, Max. Believe me, I would do anything to make it go away.”   
For the first time in what felt like forever, Max didn’t feel the bitterness that had been gnawing away at her. Safe in Chloe’s arms, she finally felt at peace. “It’s okay,” she squeaked. “I don’t feel the pain right now.” Chloe looked at her and smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.  
“Look, Max, you’re already the strongest person I know. But you need to promise me you’ll stay strong no matter what, okay? Because I’m always right by your side, even if you can’t see me. I swear, I’ll never leave you.”  
It worried Max how Chloe said ‘no matter what,’ as if she knew something bad was coming. “But why can’t we just be together? I want to be able to actually see you, Chloe.”  
“We…cant,” Chloe said quietly. “I’m so sorry. But how about this, if you keep your promise to stay strong, then I promise you we’ll be together again someday.”  
“You wouldn’t happen to know that exact date off the top of your head, would you?”  
Chloe chuckled softly. “God, I wish dude. But I swear it’ll happen. We both went through too much shit to not get reunited for good.”  
“Tell me about it,” Max agreed. She stayed leaned up against Chloe for a little while as both girls enjoyed the serenity and comfort that being with each other gave them. Max still had a million unanswered questions to ask Chloe, but she knew it didn’t really matter at this point. Instead, she just laid her head back onto Chloe’s shoulder and took the punk’s hand in hers.  
“I love you, Chloe. And I miss you so freakin’ much.”   
Chloe smiled. “Back at ya, Caulfield.” She would have been happy hearing Chloe talk for hours, but somehow those four words were enough. After a few minutes more, they heard distant voices that were coming nearer. Max sighed, “I guess they found me.”  
“Yeah,” Chloe said faintly. “That’s my cue,” she said as she went to stand up and help Max get on her feet. “Don’t forget our promise, okay Max?”  
“Never,” Max assured her as they enveloped each other in a tight embrace. “Will you stay with me?”  
Chloe pulled back to look at Max. “Always,” she said with a wink.  
“She’s in here!” She heard Wells yell, but she never broke eye contact with Chloe.  
“I love you, Max,” Chloe said.  
“I love you too, Chloe. Goodbye…”  
* * *  
EPILOGUE  
“Damn, Doc musta given her too high a dose that time. The kid is out cold.”  
“Man, if I heard her scream the name ‘Chloe’ one more time I’d have to be locked up in here too!”  
Max faintly heard men’s voices, but they sounded echoey and garbled. She tried her best to open her eyes to see where she was, but she couldn’t fight the overwhelming exhaustion that was consuming her entire body. Eventually she gave in and drifted back to sleep.  
* * *  
“Mr and Mrs Caulfield, I’m afraid things with your daughter have gotten worse.”  
“What do you mean?” Vanessa asked worriedly. “I thought you said she seemed a bit clearer.”  
“Originally, yes, but she’s stopped responding to her medication and has become more manic these past few days, to the point where we have had no choice but to sedate her more heavily than before. Her outbursts have become more frequent and violent, and it takes more than just one orderly to calm her down anymore. Earlier she had somehow broken out of her room and we found her hours later holed up in one of the supply closets. When the staff tried to lead her back into her room, she grabbed a nearby broom and started swinging it wildly. Two orderlies got some nasty bruises before they were able to subdue her. And just before you came she locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out for over half an hour.’  
“But what about the new medicine you put her on? You said that was showing good results,” Ryan argued.  
“Ah yes, well unfortunately it started having an adverse reaction once it built up in her system, and she started having hallucinations and believed she was with her friend you mentioned when you first brought her here. Chloe Price, was it?”  
Vanessa nodded. “But we thought she would do better back home with her family, where we could keep an eye on her. She did fine the other day when we took her out.”  
The doctor removed his glasses and gently placed them on his desk. “Mrs. Caulfield, I let your daughter attend Miss Price’s funeral because I thought the closure could help speed up her recovery. Not to mention she was more…aware of reality back then. But I’m afraid she must remain here until further notice.”  
Vanessa opened her mouth to argue, but Ryan placed his hand on her shoulder. “Honey, he’s right. She needs professional care right now.” He turned his attention back to the doctor. “We just want our little girl to get better.” The doctor nodded in understanding.  
“Can we see her?” Vanessa asked quietly.  
“Of course. Although I must warn you, after her last episode we had to give her a stronger dose of sedative, so she’s not very lucid.”  
The three of them made their way to Max’s room, heartbreak piercing through her parents’ chest when they saw her lying in bed staring blankly at the ceiling, restraints around her wrists and ankles.  
“Hi baby,” Vanessa greeted as she sat down on the side of her bed.  
“Hey kiddo,” Ryan added. “How ya feeling?”  
“Isn’t she pretty?” Max asked dreamily.  
Ryan and Vanessa looked at each other in confusion, then looked back at the doctor, who nodded to indicate to just go along with it.   
“Who, sweetheart?” Vanessa asked gently, trying her best to sound calm.  
“Chloe. Aren’t her wings just so pretty? And that shade of blue is so mesmerizing.”  
Vanessa had to cover her mouth with her trembling hand to hold in the sob that was fighting to escape her lips. She stood up and turned into Ryan’s arms as he tried to remain calm himself.  
“We’ll check on you in a little bit, okay kiddo?” He said to Max.  
Max nodded distractedly as they said their goodbyes. But as Ryan’s hand reached for the doorknob, she spoke up. “Don’t forget to say bye to Chloe!”  
Her parents exchanged another look of sadness with one another when they realized just how far gone their daughter was.  
“…Goodbye, Chloe.”  
THE END


End file.
